Man stabs himself in the head at Heathrow Airport departure lounge

A man has been taken to hospital after repeatedly stabbing himself in the head in front of horrified passengers at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Security and police swarmed to a shop near the departure gates at Terminal 5 at 5.45pm local (4.45am AEDT) at the airport after travellers reported seeing the man attacking himself with what appeared to be a knife outside a Fortnum and Mason shop.

The man had passed through security and it is believed he had picked up the weapon after being screened.

A witness said the man was frenzied as he stabbed himself in the head, neck and chest but did not attack any other guests.

“I was heading to the gate and all of a sudden people starting running towards me screaming and asking for security,” a witness told ITV News.

“He was muttering words not loudly which I did not understand.

“The man looked very distressed but did not seem to make any attempt to hurt anyone apart from himself.